all that mattered
by aeileen
Summary: in response to this tumblr prompt request: Annabeth compares to the scrawny seaweed brain she met years ago to her lumbering giant of a boyfriend now. all rights belong to rick riordan ONESHOT - T - fluffy - reeeally short


It was Saturday morning, which meant cleaning day. Annabeth removed herself from her cozy queen sized bed with much effort and looked around the room. It was severely lacking a twenty three year old, black haired, green eyed man that Annabeth_ really_ loved waking up to every morning. Annabeth wondered why her small apartment was so cold, she knew it was December and all, but normally she was a little warmer than this. Then she noticed her shirt on the floor and how she was… indisposed thanks to the previous night's evens.

Annabeth grinned slightly before disregarding putting anything on and finding her way to the bathroom. A minute later she was basking under the steamy jets of water coming from the shower head. Annabeth wasn't even startled when a pair of strong familiar hands wrapped around her waist and her whole body got chills from the cold of the shower curtain opening.

"Where'd you go?" She said in a hum.

"Across the street," Percy answered before planting a kiss on her shoulder. "We we're out of blueberry poptarts."

Percy continued his assault on her shoulder, moving to her collar bone, then her neck. Annabeth turned and met his lips. She smiled against them before breaking free from his embrace and stepping out of the warm spray.

"Sorry Perce," She said, grabbing her towel, "You know the drill, its cleaning day."

Annabeth turned to see Percy's head sticking out of the shower curtain, his expression equal to a lost puppy's. Annabeth let out an airy laugh before retreating to their room. She slipped on some undergarments and a V-neck of Percy's. She found her favorite pair of blue polk-a-dot fuzzy socks and fetched her phone. Annabeth plugged it into the dock in the kitchen and cranked it up.

She spent a solid three minutes decided on which style of music she was in the mood for that day. She scrolled past the country one, the pop one, the boy band one, the indie folk one, the slow one and her eyes finally lit up when she clicked on her indie punk playlist. She found _Anna Sun_ by Walk the Moon and grabbed her supplies from under the sink.

Annabeth was in the middle of scrubbing the sauce pan that was in the sink, dancing slightly and singing along when she noticed Percy standing in the door way, watching her.

"You could help you know." She pointed out.

"But I like watching you like this," Percy protested. "You're so care free."

"What I care about is getting this place clean." Annabeth declared. "Now go grab the vacuum and start on the living room."

Panic! At The Disco was playing when Annabeth made it to the bedroom. She picked up the numerous garments that were scattered around the place and threw them in the hamper. She made the bed, but not before staring longingly at the comfy white duvet that was practically beckoning to her. If she turned down Percy, which she really didn't want to, she had to turn down her bed, cleaning day was priority.

She dusted, swept, scrubbed the floor and mopped while Percy vacuumed, took the liberty of cleaning the toilet and the rest of the bathroom and the windows. When she finally finished and the apartment reeked of lemon scented cleaner, Annabeth lit an apple cinnamon candle and collapsed on the couch, next to Percy who was already there.

_Cough Syrup_ by Young the Giant was playing lowly from the speakers as Annabeth curled up into Percy's side and pulled a blanket over their laps. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and ran his fingers through her hair. Annabeth sighed in contentment.

"I like this." She all but whispered.

"Me too." He said in reply, kissing her head before resting his chin on it.

Annabeth wasn't lying; she loved feeling his strong arms around her. They were so different from when she first met him. When he was a twelve year old boy, drooling in his sleep, barely any muscle to his bones, and now he was a man. Years and years of training and fighting did well for him, even if it left him emotionally and physically scarred, as she was as well.

Annabeth almost thinks that without all of the tragedy in their lives they would be here now. They'd be like the thousands of other demigods who'd never made it to their eighteenth birthday. Their lives made them strong, they could take on the world, or the _sky_, an army of giants, or primordial goddesses. Even a few titans weren't out of the question. They'd been through hell and back, literally, and it helped shape them into who they are and who they were.

But Annabeth didn't know if it was worth it. Maybe she liked the innocent boy she had first met better than the one now. He hadn't seen the horrors of the world, of the gods, of the universe. All he cared about was his mom, not having the fate of the entire Earth riding on his shoulders.

But then again, if she hadn't gone on the journey that was their lives with him, who knew if they'd be sitting there now, enjoying each other's presence, listening to the beat of each other's hearts and the low hum of Annabeth's playlist. All their lives they'd been waiting for this, a time with no ever looming threat. It was a time where they could simply live, and enjoy their lives, not worry about everybody else's.

"I love you." Annabeth said quietly.

"I love you, too."

And Annabeth smiled, because after everything they'd been through, the one thing she knew for certain is that they loved each other.


End file.
